/ʊ/

The /ʊ/ sound in English is a voiced near-close near-back rounded vowel, which means it’s a sound made with the tongue positioned as close to the roof of the mouth as possible without creating a constriction that would be classified as a consonant, and with vocal cord vibration. Here’s how you pronounce it:

• Position your mouth and tongue: For the /ʊ/ sound, your mouth should be partially open, and your tongue should be positioned slightly high in the back of your mouth. Your lips should also be rounded.
• Voicing: The /ʊ/ sound is a voiced vowel, meaning your vocal cords vibrate when you produce this sound. You should feel a vibration if you lightly touch the front of your throat while saying the sound.
• Release the sound: With your mouth partially open and your tongue positioned slightly high at the back of your mouth, let your breath flow out over your tongue and through your mouth. The vocal cords vibrate to produce the /ʊ/ sound.